[amsat-bb] Latest SpaceX GEO launch cost.

[KC9SGV]

Hi Burns,
Interesting link !
Certainly way too expensive for a collective of hams to procure.

I was thinking more about existing infrastructure like the old 1970's U.S. Military coms sats that are now used mostly by Brazilian pirates, it seems.

If us U.S. Hams could be donated some legal bandwidth on these old decaying GEO sats for legal experimental and Emcomm use in the interim, why not ?
After all, we paid for these with our tax dollars.
Of course the uplink and downlink frequencies would presumably not be in the existing ham bands.
But Emcomm and emergency use per the FCC could be legal...maybe.
Another tool in our ham toolbox.
Like having old, modified military radios in your ham shack for ham band use.
See those at hamfests, all the time.

Maybe AMSAT NA has pursued this angle already.

Just wondering.

Bernard,
KC9SGV

Sent from my iPad

> On Aug 9, 2019, at 9:04 AM, Burns Fisher via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
> 
> The $250 million satellite cost in the article INCLUDED getting into
> orbit.  According to
> https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/spacex-price.gif, the
> SpaceX price to GTO was $62Million in 2016, but that still counts as
> staggering.  Of course this is for a dedicated launch.  As a secondary
> payload it would be less but still way more than the cost to LEO (which
> some might call affordable :-) )  And if you have followed the Virginia
> Tech work with AMSAT, there has been an attempt to share a satellite in
> geosynchronous orbit, but no luck yet.  Most commercial companies are not
> too interested in adding risk or mass to their satellites (notice that the
> AMOS satellite take up pretty nearly the full mass capability of the Falcon
> 9 to GEO.
> 
> But how about an ARISS ham package on the Lunar Gateway?  Now that's going
> to be cool, and looks like it could really happen!
> 
> 73,
> 
> Burns WB1FJ
> 
>> On Fri, Aug 9, 2019 at 9:51 AM Joe via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I read that article twice, and I do not see any mention as the cost from
>> Space X to put the Sat into orbit. All I see if the cost of the Sat
>> only. Nothing about what it cost to get it into orbit.
>> 
>> Joe WB9SBD
>> Sig
>> The Original Rolling Ball Clock
>> Idle Tyme
>> Idle-Tyme.com
>> http://www.idle-tyme.com
>>> On 8/9/2019 8:31 AM, KC9SGV via AMSAT-BB wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>> Just saw this latest effort by SpaceX to launch the Israeli AMOS
>> satellite into GEO orbit.
>>> The cost is staggering.
>>> 
>>> Maybe we should go with somehow securing transponder bandwidth on
>> existing GEO satellites as an alternative ?
>>> 
>>> 
>> https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-launch-today-live-stream-falcon-9-set-to-launch-israeli-satellite-3-years-after-explosion-destroyed-first-one/
>>> 
>>> Bernard,
>>> KC9SGV
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
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>>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
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